There's plenty of choice in your price range but a lot of dogs about, the Corsas are low insurance, the Fiestas are nice to drive.... you can even go renault if you're feeling brave with a clio or scenic?

If you can stretch your budget a little, I have a couple of nice 1.6 Civics which in my opinion are the best value for money on the road. Plus the insurance groups are VERY low [don't know them off the top of my head].